Braun homers twice as Brewers edge Tigers

Ryan Braun hit a pair of solo homers, including a go-ahead shot in the eighth, and the Milwaukee Brewers kept pace with the Chicago Cubs with a 6-5 win over the visiting Detroit Tigers on Friday.

Milwaukee (93-67) remained one game back of the first-place Cubs, who beat St. Louis 8-4 earlier in the day, in the National League Central standings with two games remaining.

Braun’s eighth-inning, opposite-field homer off Victor Alcantara (1-1) hit the heel of right fielder Nicholas Castellanos’ glove, trickled along the top of the wall and dropped over it.

Christian Yelich hit a two-run homer, walked twice and scored two runs for the Brewers. Yelich’s younger brother Cameron, who was recently honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps, threw out the first pitch and was in the stands for the game.

Mike Moustakas added two hits and an RBI.

Joakim Soria (2-4) got two eighth-inning outs and was credited with the victory. Jeremy Jeffress pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

Dawel Lugo hit his first career homer, a two-run shot, for Detroit (64-96).

Milwaukee starter Zach Davies gave up three runs on five hits in four innings. Detroit’s Jordan Zimmermann allowed five runs on eight hits in four innings.

The Tigers pecked away at Davies in the first, stringing together five consecutive singles to grab a 3-0 lead. Niko Goodrum, Jim Adduci and James McCann drove in the runs.

Milwaukee got all of those runs back in the bottom of the inning. Lorenzo Cain led off with a single, and Christian Yelich hit a towering blast to center for his 34th homer this season. After Zimmermann retired the next two batters, Braun crushed his 19th long ball of the year.

The Brewers took a 4-3 lead in the third. Yelich led off with a walk and advanced on Jesus Aguilar’s single. Moustakas brought home Yelich with a bloop single to center. JaCoby Jones threw out Aguilar at third on the play.

Milwaukee extended its lead in the fourth. Orlando Arcia doubled to left, and pinch hitter Domingo Santana knocked him in with a single.

Detroit tied it against Josh Hader in the eighth. Jeimer Candelario was hit by a pitch, and Lugo followed with his long ball over the left field wall.